Sulfur dioxide exposure enhances Th2 inflammatory responses via activating STAT6 pathway in asthmatic mice.

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Sulfur dioxide exposure enhances Th2 inflammatory responses via activating STAT6 pathway in asthmatic mice.

Toxicol Lett. 2017 Dec 27;:

Authors: Li X, Huang L, Wang N, Yi H, Wang H

Abstract
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is one of potential risk factors for induction and/or exacerbation of asthma, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we investigate the role of SO2 in asthma using a classical asthmatic model with allergic airway inflammation by treating C57BL/6 mice with ovalbumin (OVA) and/or 10 mg/m3 SO2. Our results showed that SO2 exposure alone induced slight pathological changes but did not significantly increase inflammatory cell counts, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and mucus production in the airway of mice, whereas SO2 exposure in OVA-induced asthmatic mice caused marked pulmonary pathological changes and significantly increased the counts of eosinophil-rich leukocytes compared with OVA alone asthmatic mice. The expression of MUC5AC, TNF-α, Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) and STAT6 was further up-regulated in OVA plus SO2 treated mice compared with OVA alone treated mice. In addition, exposure to SO2 alone markedly elevated STAT6 mRNA levels and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content in the lung. These findings suggest that SO2 amplifies Th2 inflammatory responses in OVA-induced asthmatic mice by activating STAT6, which can further induce Th2 cytokine expression. Induction of STAT6 expression might be an important mechanism underlying the increased risk for asthma after environmental exposure.

PMID: 29288730 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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The human papillomavirus E6 oncoprotein targets USP15 and TRIM25 to suppress RIG-I-mediated innate immune signaling.

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The human papillomavirus E6 oncoprotein targets USP15 and TRIM25 to suppress RIG-I-mediated innate immune signaling.

J Virol. 2017 Dec 20;:

Authors: Chiang C, Pauli EK, Biryukov J, Feister KF, Meng M, White EA, Münger K, Howley PM, Meyers C, Gack MU

Abstract
Retinoic acid-inducible gene-I (RIG-I) is a key pattern-recognition receptor that senses viral RNA and interacts with the mitochondrial adaptor MAVS, triggering a signaling cascade that results in the production of type I interferons (IFNs). This signaling axis is initiated by K63-linked ubiquitination of RIG-I mediated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRIM25, which promotes the interaction of RIG-I with MAVS. USP15 was recently identified as an upstream regulator of TRIM25 stabilizing the enzyme through removal of degradative K48-linked polyubiquitin, ultimately promoting RIG-I-dependent cytokine responses. Here we show that the E6 oncoprotein of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) as well as of other HPV types form a complex with TRIM25 and USP15 in human cells. In the presence of E6, the K48-linked ubiquitination of TRIM25 was markedly increased, and in line with this, TRIM25 degradation was enhanced. Our results further showed that E6 inhibited the TRIM25-mediated K63-linked ubiquitination of RIG-I and its CARD-dependent interaction with MAVS. HPV16 E6, but not E7, suppressed the RIG-I-mediated induction of IFN-β, chemokines and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Finally, CRISPR-Cas9 gene-targeting in human keratinocytes showed that the TRIM25-RIG-I-MAVS triad is important for eliciting an antiviral immune response to HPV16 infection. Our study thus identifies a novel immune escape mechanism that is conserved among different HPV strains, and further indicates that the RIG-I signaling pathway plays an important role in the innate immune response to HPV infection.IMPORTANCE Persistent infection and tumorigenesis by human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are known to require viral manipulation of a variety of cellular processes, including those involved in innate immune responses. Here we show that the HPV E6 oncoprotein antagonizes the activation of the cytoplasmic innate immune sensor RIG-I by targeting its upstream regulatory enzymes TRIM25 and USP15. We further show that the RIG-I signaling cascade is important for an antiviral innate immune response to HPV16 infection, providing evidence that RIG-I, whose role in sensing RNA virus infections has been well characterized, also plays a crucial role in the antiviral host response to small DNA viruses of the Papillomaviridae family.

PMID: 29263274 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Cytokine contributions to alterations of the volatile metabolome induced by inflammation.

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Cytokine contributions to alterations of the volatile metabolome induced by inflammation.

Brain Behav Immun. 2017 Dec 11;:

Authors: Millet P, Opiekun M, Martin T, Beauchamp GK, Kimball BA

Abstract
Several studies demonstrate that inflammation affects body odor. Volatile signals associated with inflammation induced by pyrogens like LPS are detectable both by conspecifics and chemical analyses. However, little is known about the mechanisms which translate detection of a foreign molecule or pathogen into a unique body odor, or even how unique that odor may be. Here, we utilized C57BL/6J trained mice to identify the odor of LPS-treated conspecifics to investigate potential pathways between LPS-induced inflammation and changes in body odor, as represented by changes in urine odor. We hypothesized that the change in volatile metabolites could be caused directly by the pro-inflammatory cytokine response mediated by TNF or IL-1β, or by the compensatory anti-inflammatory response mediated by IL-10. We found that trained biosensors generalized learned LPS-associated odors to TNF-induced odors, but not to IL-1β or IL-10-induced odors. Analyses of urine volatiles using headspace gas chromatography revealed distinct profiles of volatile compounds for each treatment. Instrumental discrimination relied on a mixture of compounds, including 2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole, cedrol, nonanal, benzaldehyde, acetic acid, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, and dehydro-exo-brevicomin. Although interpretation of LDA modeling differed from behavioral testing, it does suggest that treatment with TNF, IL-1β, and LPS can be distinguished by their resultant volatile profiles. These findings indicate there is information found in body odors on the presence of specific cytokines. This result is encouraging for the future of disease diagnosis via analysis of volatiles.

PMID: 29241669 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Aging Decreases Chorda-Tympani Nerve Responses to NaCl and Alters Morphology of Fungiform Taste Pores in Rats.

Aging Decreases Chorda-Tympani Nerve Responses to NaCl and Alters Morphology of Fungiform Taste Pores in Rats.

Chem Senses. 2017 Dec 09;:

Authors: Whiddon ZD, Rynberg ST, Mast TG, Breza JM

Abstract
Sensory processing is susceptible to decline with age. The sense of taste is, however, generally thought to be resistant to aging. We investigated how chorda-tympani nerve responses and fungiform-taste pores are affected by aging in the Sprague-Dawley rat, a model system for salt taste. First, we measured chorda-tympani nerve responses to NH4Cl and NaCl solutions in young (3-5 months old) and aged (14-15 months old) rats. Aged rats had significantly attenuated chorda-tympani responses to 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, and 0.3M NaCl, whereas responses to NH4Cl were statistically similar between age groups. Second, we investigated if fungiform papillae, which harbor taste buds innervated by the chorda-tympani nerve, were affected by aging in "young" (4-7 months old) and "aged" ("aged1" 18 months old and "aged2" 24-28 months old) rats. Using scanning electron microscopy, we found that aging significantly reduced morphological characteristics associated with intact fungiform-taste pores (hillock, rim, pore presence, and open pore). We conclude that the structure and function of the peripheral-taste system may not be as resistant to aging as previously reported.

PMID: 29236959 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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The intraparietal sulcus governs multisensory integration of audiovisual information based on task difficulty.

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The intraparietal sulcus governs multisensory integration of audiovisual information based on task difficulty.

Hum Brain Mapp. 2017 Dec 12;:

Authors: Regenbogen C, Seubert J, Johansson E, Finkelmeyer A, Andersson P, Lundström JN

Abstract
Object recognition benefits maximally from multimodal sensory input when stimulus presentation is noisy, or degraded. Whether this advantage can be attributed specifically to the extent of overlap in object-related information, or rather, to object-unspecific enhancement due to the mere presence of additional sensory stimulation, remains unclear. Further, the cortical processing differences driving increased multisensory integration (MSI) for degraded compared with clear information remain poorly understood. Here, two consecutive studies first compared behavioral benefits of audio-visual overlap of object-related information, relative to conditions where one channel carried information and the other carried noise. A hierarchical drift diffusion model indicated performance enhancement when auditory and visual object-related information was simultaneously present for degraded stimuli. A subsequent fMRI study revealed visual dominance on a behavioral and neural level for clear stimuli, while degraded stimulus processing was mainly characterized by activation of a frontoparietal multisensory network, including IPS. Connectivity analyses indicated that integration of degraded object-related information relied on IPS input, whereas clear stimuli were integrated through direct information exchange between visual and auditory sensory cortices. These results indicate that the inverse effectiveness observed for identification of degraded relative to clear objects in behavior and brain activation might be facilitated by selective recruitment of an executive cortical network which uses IPS as a relay mediating crossmodal sensory information exchange.

PMID: 29235185 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Biomimetic Sensors for the Senses: Towards Better Understanding of Taste and Odor Sensation.

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Biomimetic Sensors for the Senses: Towards Better Understanding of Taste and Odor Sensation.

Sensors (Basel). 2017 Dec 11;17(12):

Authors: Wu C, Du YW, Huang L, Ben-Shoshan Galeczki Y, Dagan-Wiener A, Naim M, Niv MY, Wang P

Abstract
Taste and smell are very important chemical senses that provide indispensable information on food quality, potential mates and potential danger. In recent decades, much progress has been achieved regarding the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms of taste and odor senses. Recently, biosensors have been developed for detecting odorants and tastants as well as for studying ligand-receptor interactions. This review summarizes the currently available biosensing approaches, which can be classified into two main categories: in vitro and in vivo approaches. The former is based on utilizing biological components such as taste and olfactory tissues, cells and receptors, as sensitive elements. The latter is dependent on signals recorded from animals' signaling pathways using implanted microelectrodes into living animals. Advantages and disadvantages of these two approaches, as well as differences in terms of sensing principles and applications are highlighted. The main current challenges, future trends and prospects of research in biomimetic taste and odor sensors are discussed.

PMID: 29232897 [PubMed - in process]

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Where is the TMT? GC-MS analyses of fox feces and behavioral responses of rats to fear-inducing odors.

Where is the TMT? GC-MS analyses of fox feces and behavioral responses of rats to fear-inducing odors.

Chem Senses. 2017 Dec 08;:

Authors: Rampin O, Jerôme N, Saint-Albin A, Ouali C, Boué F, Meunier N, Nielsen BL

Abstract
TMT (2,5-dihydro-2,4,5-trimethylthiazoline) is known as a component of fox feces inducing fear in rodents. However, no recent chemical analyses of fox feces are available, and few studies make direct comparisons between TMT and fox feces. Fox feces from 3 individuals were used to prepare 24 samples to be analyzed for the presence of TMT using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). When TMT was added in low amounts (50-2000 nmol/g), TMT was detected in 10 out of 11 samples. When no TMT was added, TMT was detected in only 1 out of 13 samples. In a second experiment, we tested the behavioral response of male Brown Norway (BN) and Wistar rats to either fox feces, a low amount of TMT (0.6 nmol) or 1-hexanol. TMT induced freezing in the rats, but fox feces induced significantly more freezing episodes and longer total duration of freezing in both rat strains. In experiment 3, male BN rats were exposed over several days to fox feces, rat feces, 1-hexanol, cadaverine, 2-phenylethylamine, and TMT, one odor at a time. Fox feces induced significantly more freezing episodes of a longer total duration than any of the other odors, with rat feces and 1-hexanol giving rise to the lowest amount of freezing. This finding, together with our inability to verify the presence of TMT in fox feces, indicates that the concentration of TMT in our fox feces samples was below 50 nmol/g. It may also be that other compounds in fox feces play a role in its fear-inducing properties.

PMID: 29228118 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Skn-1a/Pou2f3 functions as a master regulator to generate Trpm5-expressing chemosensory cells in mice.

Skn-1a/Pou2f3 functions as a master regulator to generate Trpm5-expressing chemosensory cells in mice.

PLoS One. 2017;12(12):e0189340

Authors: Yamashita J, Ohmoto M, Yamaguchi T, Matsumoto I, Hirota J

Abstract
Transient receptor potential channel M5 (Trpm5)-expressing cells, such as sweet, umami, and bitter taste cells in the oropharyngeal epithelium, solitary chemosensory cells in the nasal respiratory epithelium, and tuft cells in the small intestine, that express taste-related genes function as chemosensory cells. Previous studies demonstrated that Skn-1a/Pou2f3, a POU homeodomain transcription factor is expressed in these Trpm5-expressing chemosensory cells, and is necessary for their generation. Trpm5-expressing cells have recently been found in trachea, auditory tube, urethra, thymus, pancreatic duct, stomach, and large intestine. They are considered to be involved in protective responses to potential hazardous compounds as Skn-1a-dependent bitter taste cells, respiratory solitary chemosensory cells, and intestinal tuft cells are. In this study, we examined the expression and function of Skn-1a/Pou2f3 in Trpm5-expressing cells in trachea, auditory tube, urethra, thymus, pancreatic duct, stomach, and large intestine. Skn-1a/Pou2f3 is expressed in a majority of Trpm5-expressing cells in all tissues examined. In Skn-1a/Pou2f3-deficient mice, the expression of Trpm5 as well as marker genes for Trpm5-expressing cells were absent in all tested tissues. Immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that two types of microvillous cells exist in trachea, urethra, and thymus, Trpm5-positive and Trpm5-negative cells. In Skn-1a/Pou2f3-deficient mice, a considerable proportion of Trpm5-negative and villin-positive microvillous cells remained present in these tissues. Thus, we propose that Skn-1a/Pou2f3 is the master regulator for the generation of the Trpm5-expressing microvillous cells in multiple tissues.

PMID: 29216297 [PubMed - in process]

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Effect of Ovarian Hormones and Mating Experience on the Preference of Female Mice to Investigate Male Urinary Pheromones.

Effect of Ovarian Hormones and Mating Experience on the Preference of Female Mice to Investigate Male Urinary Pheromones.

Chem Senses. 2017 Dec 02;:

Authors: McCarthy EA, Naik AS, Coyne AF, Cherry JA, Baum MJ

Abstract
In female mice the expression of receptive lordosis behavior requires estradiol and progesterone actions in the nervous system; however, the contribution of these hormones to females' motivation to seek out male pheromones is less clear. In an initial experiment, sexually naïve ovary-intact female mice preferred to investigate (make nasal contact with) testes-intact male as opposed to estrous female urine, provided they were in vaginal estrus. In a second experiment, groups of sexually naïve and mating-experienced, ovariectomized females were tested for urinary pheromone preference first without and then with ovarian hormone replacement. Without hormone replacement, sexually naïve ovariectomized females showed no preference for male over female urinary pheromones whereas mating-experienced females preferred to investigate male pheromones. Ovariectomized females in both groups preferred male over female urine after sequential s.c. injections with estradiol benzoate followed 2 days later with progesterone and after prolonged (7 days) exposure to estradiol alone. Our results indicate that in sexually naïve female mice estradiol, perhaps aided by progesterone, is required to motivate a preference to seek out male pheromones whereas after mating experience females' preference to investigate male pheromones persists even in the absence of ovarian hormone action.

PMID: 29211837 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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A workshop on 'Dietary sweetness-Is it an issue?'

A workshop on 'Dietary sweetness-Is it an issue?'

Int J Obes (Lond). 2017 Dec 06;:

Authors: Wittekind A, Higgins K, McGale L, Schwartz C, Stamataki NS, Beauchamp GK, Bonnema A, Dussort P, Gibson S, de Graaf C, Halford JCG, Marsaux CFM, Mattes RD, McLaughlin J, Mela DJ, Nicklaus S, Rogers PJ, Macdonald IA

Abstract
This report summarises a workshop convened by ILSI Europe on 3rd and 4th April 2017 to discuss the issue of dietary sweetness. The objectives were to understand the roles of sweetness in the diet; establish whether exposure to sweetness affects diet quality and energy intake; and consider whether sweetness per se affects health. Although there may be evidence for tracking of intake of some sweet components of the diet through childhood, evidence for tracking of whole diet sweetness, or through other stages of maturity are lacking. The evidence to date does not support adverse effects of sweetness on diet quality or energy intake, except where sweet food choices increase intake of free sugars. There is some evidence for improvements in diet quality and reduced energy intake where sweetness without calories replaces sweetness with calories. There is a need to understand the physiological and metabolic relevance of sweet taste receptors on the tongue, in the gut and elsewhere in the body, as well as possible differentiation in the effects of sustained consumption of individual sweeteners. Despite a plethora of studies, there is no consistent evidence for an association of sweetness sensitivity/preference with obesity or type 2 diabetes. A multifaceted integrated approach, characterising nutritive and sensory aspects of the whole diet or dietary patterns, may be more valuable in providing contextual insight. The outcomes of the workshop could be used as a scientific basis to inform the expert community and create more useful dialogue among health care professionals.International Journal of Obesity accepted article preview online, 06 December 2017. doi:10.1038/ijo.2017.296.

PMID: 29211705 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Adiposity QTL Adip20 decomposes into at least four loci when dissected using congenic strains.

Adiposity QTL Adip20 decomposes into at least four loci when dissected using congenic strains.

PLoS One. 2017;12(12):e0188972

Authors: Lin C, Fesi BD, Marquis M, Bosak NP, Lysenko A, Koshnevisan MA, Duke FF, Theodorides ML, Nelson TM, McDaniel AH, Avigdor M, Arayata CJ, Shaw L, Bachmanov AA, Reed DR

Abstract
An average mouse in midlife weighs between 25 and 30 g, with about a gram of tissue in the largest adipose depot (gonadal), and the weight of this depot differs between inbred strains. Specifically, C57BL/6ByJ mice have heavier gonadal depots on average than do 129P3/J mice. To understand the genetic contributions to this trait, we mapped several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for gonadal depot weight in an F2 intercross population. Our goal here was to fine-map one of these QTLs, Adip20 (formerly Adip5), on mouse chromosome 9. To that end, we analyzed the weight of the gonadal adipose depot from newly created congenic strains. Results from the sequential comparison method indicated at least four rather than one QTL; two of the QTLs were less than 0.5 Mb apart, with opposing directions of allelic effect. Different types of evidence (missense and regulatory genetic variation, human adiposity/body mass index orthologues, and differential gene expression) implicated numerous candidate genes from the four QTL regions. These results highlight the value of mouse congenic strains and the value of this sequential method to dissect challenging genetic architecture.

PMID: 29194435 [PubMed - in process]

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Taste Responses to Linoleic Acid: A Crowdsourced Population Study.

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Taste Responses to Linoleic Acid: A Crowdsourced Population Study.

Chem Senses. 2017 Oct 31;42(9):769-775

Authors: Garneau NL, Nuessle TM, Tucker RM, Yao M, Santorico SA, Mattes RD, Genetics of Taste Lab Citizen Scientists

Abstract
Dietary fats serve multiple essential roles in human health but may also contribute to acute and chronic health complications. Thus, understanding mechanisms that influence fat ingestion are critical. All sensory systems may contribute relevant cues to fat detection, with the most recent evidence supporting a role for the sense of taste. Taste detection thresholds for fat vary markedly between individuals and responses are not normally distributed. Genetics may contribute to these observations. Using crowdsourced data obtained from families visiting the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, our objective was to estimate the heritability of fat taste (oleogustus). A pedigree analysis was conducted with 106 families (643 individuals) who rated the fat taste intensity of graded concentrations of linoleic acid (LA) embedded in taste strips. The findings estimate that 19% (P = 0.043) of the variability of taste response to LA relative to baseline is heritable at the highest concentration tested.

PMID: 28968903 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Cognitive Load Alters Neuronal Processing of Food Odors.

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Cognitive Load Alters Neuronal Processing of Food Odors.

Chem Senses. 2017 Oct 31;42(9):723-736

Authors: Hoffmann-Hensel SM, Sijben R, Rodriguez-Raecke R, Freiherr J

Abstract
Obesity is a major health concern in modern societies. Although decreased physical activity and enhanced intake of high-caloric foods are important risk factors for developing obesity, human behavior during eating also plays a role. Previous studies have shown that distraction while eating increases food intake and leads to impaired processing of food stimuli. As olfaction is the most important sense involved in flavor perception, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging techniques to investigate the influence of cognitive memory load on olfactory perception and processing. Low- and high-caloric food odors were presented in combination with either low or high cognitive loads utilizing a memory task. The efficacy of the memory task was verified by a decrease in participant recall accuracy and an increase in skin conductance response during high cognitive load. Our behavioral data reveal a diminished perceived intensity for low- but not high-caloric food odors during high cognitive load. For low-caloric food odors, bilateral orbitofrontal (OFC) and piriform cortices (pirC) showed significantly lower activity during high compared with low cognitive load. For high-caloric food odors, a similar effect was established in pirC, but not in OFC. Insula activity correlates with higher intensity ratings found during the low cognitive load condition. We conclude lower activity in pirC and OFC to be responsible for diminished intensity perception, comparable to results in olfactory impaired patients and elderly. Further studies should investigate the influence of olfactory/gustatory intensities on food choices under distraction with special regards to low-caloric food.

PMID: 28968851 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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The Accessory Olfactory System Facilitates the Recovery of the Attraction to Familiar Volatile Female Odors in Male Mice.

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The Accessory Olfactory System Facilitates the Recovery of the Attraction to Familiar Volatile Female Odors in Male Mice.

Chem Senses. 2017 Oct 31;42(9):737-745

Authors: Muroi Y, Nishimura M, Ishii T

Abstract
Odors in female mice induce sexual arousal in male mice. Repeated exposure to female odors attenuates male attraction, which recovers when the odors are removed. The neuronal mechanisms for the recovery of male attraction have not been clarified. In this study, we examined how olfactory systems are involved in the recovery of male attraction to female odors following habituation in mice. Presentation with volatile female odors for 5 min induced habituation in males. To evaluate male attraction to familiar volatile female odors, we measured the duration for investigating volatile female odors from the same female mouse, which was presented twice for 5 min with 1-, 3-, or 5-min interval. Intranasal irrigation with ZnSO4 solution almost completely suppressed investigating behavior, indicating that the main olfactory system is indispensable for inducing the attraction to volatile female odors. In contrast, removal of the vomeronasal organ, bilateral lesions of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB), or pharmacological blockage of neurotransmission in the AOB did not affect the investigation time at the first odor presentation. However, each one of the treatments decreased the investigation time in the second presentation, compared to that in the first presentation, at longer intervals than control treatment, indicating that the disturbance of neurotransmission in the accessory olfactory system delayed the recovery of the attraction attenuated by the first presentation. These results suggest that the accessory olfactory system facilitates the recovery of the attraction to familiar volatile female odors in male mice.

PMID: 28968801 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Olfactory Context-Dependent Memory and the Effects of Affective Congruency.

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Olfactory Context-Dependent Memory and the Effects of Affective Congruency.

Chem Senses. 2017 Oct 31;42(9):777-788

Authors: Hackländer RPM, Bermeitinger C

Abstract
Odors have been claimed to be particularly effective mnemonic cues, possibly because of the strong links between olfaction and emotion processing. Indeed, past research has shown that odors can bias processing towards affectively congruent material. In order to determine whether this processing bias translates to memory, we conducted 2 olfactory-enhanced-context memory experiments where we manipulated affective congruency between the olfactory context and to-be-remembered material. Given the presumed importance of valence to olfactory perception, we hypothesized that memory would be best for affectively congruent material in the olfactory enhanced context groups. Across the 2 experiments, groups which encoded and retrieved material in the presence of an odorant exhibited better memory performance than groups that did not have the added olfactory context during encoding and retrieval. While context-enhanced memory was exhibited in the presence of both pleasant and unpleasant odors, there was no indication that memory was dependent on affective congruency between the olfactory context and the to-be-remembered material. While the results provide further support for the notion that odors can act as powerful contextual mnemonic cues, they call into question the notion that affective congruency between context and focal material is important for later memory performance.

PMID: 28968744 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Type III Cells in Anterior Taste Fields Are More Immunohistochemically Diverse Than Those of Posterior Taste Fields in Mice.

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Type III Cells in Anterior Taste Fields Are More Immunohistochemically Diverse Than Those of Posterior Taste Fields in Mice.

Chem Senses. 2017 Oct 31;42(9):759-767

Authors: Wilson CE, Finger TE, Kinnamon SC

Abstract
Activation of Type III cells in mammalian taste buds is implicated in the transduction of acids (sour) and salty stimuli. Several lines of evidence suggest that function of Type III cells in the anterior taste fields may differ from that of Type III cells in posterior taste fields. Underlying anatomy to support this observation is, however, scant. Most existing immunohistochemical data characterizing this cell type focus on circumvallate taste buds in the posterior tongue. Equivalent data from anterior taste fields-fungiform papillae and soft palate-are lacking. Here, we compare Type III cells in four taste fields: fungiform, soft palate, circumvallate, and foliate in terms of reactivity to four canonical markers of Type III cells: polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1 (PKD2L1), synaptosomal associated protein 25 (SNAP25), serotonin (5-HT), and glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67). Our findings indicate that while PKD2L1, 5-HT, and SNAP25 are highly coincident in posterior taste fields, they diverge in anterior taste fields. In particular, a subset of taste cells expresses PKD2L1 without the synaptic markers, and a subset of SNAP25 cells lacks expression of PKD2L1. In posterior taste fields, GAD67-positive cells are a subset of PKD2L1 expressing taste cells, but anterior taste fields also contain a significant population of GAD67-only expressing cells. These differences in expression patterns may underlie the observed functional differences between anterior and posterior taste fields.

PMID: 28968659 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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